Expression-marking for note-sheets.



P. K; VAN YORK. EXPRESSION MARKING FOB NOTE SHEETS. APPLICATION FILED 111:0. 21, 1908.

"1,001,566. Patented Aug. 22, 191-1.

UNITED STATES PATENT PERCIVAL K. VAN YORK, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILCOX &, WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

EXPRESSION-MARKING FOR NOTE-SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 21, 1908.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

Serial No. 468,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERoIvAL K. VAN Yonx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expression- Marking for Note-Sheets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved marking for music rolls or note sheets to be used with mechanical music playing instruments such as piano-players, playerpianos, mechanically operated organs and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a system for marking by which a single line may be employed to indicate two different kinds of expression, namely, volume and tempo. This line extends longitudinally of the sheet, so that as the note sheet traverses the tracker, the operator will be advised thereby whether he is to maintain, increase or decrease the speed of the instrument, at the same time advising him also whether the volume of sound is to be maintained, increased, or diminished.

In the accompanying drawings I have conventionally illustrated a portion of a note sheet bearing thereon my improved marking.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are each plan views of a portion of a note sheet with my improved marking thereon. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modification.

"My invention comprehends a single line, difierent portions of which have a different distinctive appearance. For example, one section of the line may be straight or plain, another section may be formed of short angular zig-zags, and another section of short curved zig-zags. These differences in the appearance of the line may be relied upon as a guide for one kind of expression, for

example, speed, while the line itself may move to the right and left on the sheet to indicate another kind of expression.

Referring first to Fig. 1 I have shown a short length of note sheet on reduced scale for a composition in which it may be assumed there is to be no change in volume, the expression changes being brought about solely by changes in tempo. In this figure 1 represents a section of note sheet. Upon this section of note sheet there appears a line extending down through the middle. Certain parts of this line, indicated at 22, are straight as distinguished from curved or zigzag. Other parts of this line, as indicated at 83, are formed by sharp,

short, angular Zigzags while still another part of the line, indicated at 4, is formed by short, curved Zigzags. The line extending down the sheet as thus described will be seen to be made up of certain portions which are easily distinguishable, viz., the straight unzigzag portion; the short, angular zigzags; and the short, curved zigzags. Vhen that part of the note sheet 1 which traverses the tracker-board bears upon it a line, of the character indicated at 22, the operator will know that a certain speed is to obtain at this part, for example, normal tempo; so also when another part of the note sheet traverses the tracker bearing a line of the peculiarities indicated at 33, viz., the short, angular zigzags, he will know that the expression is to be changed and is to be such expression as would result from faster speed than normal; so also when that part of the note sheet bearing the short, curved zizgags, as at 1, traverses the tracker-board, he will know that still another change in expression is due, viz., in this instance, slower speed than tempo; thus by following the line and observing the character of the line where it traverses the tracker and understanding the differences indicated by the differences in character of the line, the operator is afforded a constant source of information to guide him in the manipulation of the instrument for the purpose of securing certain expression effects.

In Fig. 2 the same style of a line is illustrated and employed as in Fig. 1 and the same numerals are employed to identify the difi'erently constructed sections of line. In this case (Fig. 2) the general trend of the line lengthwise of the note sheet is seen to vary, it being staggered from the right to the left relatively to the length of the sheet. The line of Fig. 2 is staggered from the right to the left (and vice versa) to afford at once the additional information as to another kind of expression, viz., expression which may be due to changes in volume. As the line proceeds to the right, it may be understood that the volume is to be increased and as the line extends 'to the left, it may be understood that the volume is to be decreased; thus with a single line the operator is afforded information and directions as to two different kinds of expression to be observed in the proper rendering of the piece.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a line which zigzags to the right and left and may be understood to convey the same direction as to volume that the line shown on the sheet, Fig. :2, indicates. In Fig. 3,however,instead of providing straight, angular, or curved, Zigzags to distinguish one section of the line from another, these sections of the line are formed by differences in the width of the line, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, the line is shown to be of at least three different widths, beginning at the top with moderately heavy, then very heavy, then moderately heavy, then light and then very heavy. lVherever the moderately heavy line occurs I have indicated the same with the character 2; wherever the very heavy line occurs I have indicated the same with the character and wherever a very light line occurs I have indicated it by the character 4. Pre cisely as in F 1 and 2, that part of the line denoted by the moderately heavy mark is to indicate normal tempo. The very heavy line sections indicated by the characters 3 directs the operator that faster speed. than normal should obtain. lVherever the Very light line occurs as at et the operator knows that correspondingly slow speed should occur. I have by this disclosure indi cated that the line may be constructed in a variety of ways, it being merely essential that various sections of the line, shall be so constructed as to be distinguishable, the line extending lengthwise of the sheet throughout the entire composition to be a source of practically uninterrupted information to the operator as to the kinds of expression that are to be observed, viz., that kind of expresof expression due to changes in volume. By

this simple method, the marking may be very rapidly produced and the information imparted thereby certain and sure. It is, of course, plain that it is immaterial whether the differences in the construction of the line itself are relied upon to indicate volume or tempo so long as it is understood at the outset that the differences in the line are to indicate one kind of expression, either tempo or volume, and the staggering of the line to the right and left is to indicate the other kind of expression, via, volume or tempo, as the case may be.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a note sheet for music playing instruments having thereon a line extending generally lengthwise of the sheet and made up of differently constructed sections, the different sections indicating certain differences in expression respectively, the said line extending to the right and left relatively to the length of the sheet and indicating by its position relatively to the edge of the sheet certain other differences in expression.

2. As an article of manufacture, a note sheet for music playing instruments, having thereon a line extending generally lengthwise of the sheet, said line varying in width and indicating thereby certain differences in expression, respectively, said line extending to the right and left relatively to the length of the sheet, and indicating by its position relatively to the edge of the sheet certain other differences in expression.

PERCIVAL K. VAN YOItX. lVitnesses R. C. MITCHELL, M. E. GARRETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

